By Amanpreet Singh
Hey, Cloggers! We’ve saved the most challenging, most breathtaking, and most famous adventure for last: the journey to Pangong Tso (Lake) in Ladakh. This trip was pure high-altitude grit, jaw-dropping landscapes, and the ultimate test of our friendship against thin air and rough roads. This was our most epic adventure yet, filled with lovely views and unforgettable fun with the crew: Rahul, Simran, Vikram, and me.
The Passes and the Prayer Flags (The Epic Start)
Reaching Pangong Tso is an adventure in itself, requiring crossing some of the world’s highest motorable passes. The journey from Leh was a white-knuckle ride over Chang La (which sits at over 17,500 feet!). The temperature dropped, the oxygen thinned, and the landscape became stark, rugged, and overwhelmingly immense.
This was the ultimate Epic challenge. We battled headaches, nausea, and the constant fear of slipping tires. But the views from the summit, adorned with thousands of vibrant prayer flags snapping in the wind, were worth the effort. We took obligatory high-five photos, breathing hard, knowing we had truly earned the view.
The fun with friends came from the shared suffering—making stupid jokes about the altitude and sharing oxygen from a small can. It’s those moments of collective vulnerability that forge the strongest bonds.
The First Sight of the Blue
Nothing—no photo, no movie—prepares you for the first sighting of Pangong Tso. As we rounded the final corner, the lake appeared, stretching 134 km across the border, a massive, unbelievable expanse of blue.
But it wasn’t just blue; it was constantly changing color, shifting from deep sapphire to turquoise to light emerald green, all thanks to the sun and the movement of the clouds. This was the most Beautiful Moment of the entire trip. We stood in silence at the edge, mesmerized by the clarity and the scale. The silence of the high desert, broken only by the gentle lapping of the frigid water, was profound.
We spent hours taking photos, laughing as we tried to skip stones across the water (it’s surprisingly hard!), and just walking along the shore, letting the vastness reset our minds.
Stars and Shared Warmth
The experience of camping near Pangong Lake is an adventure unto itself. We stayed in basic tents, battling the freezing night temperatures. However, the lack of light pollution at 14,000 feet made for the most spectacular night sky we had ever witnessed.
We bundled up in every piece of clothing we owned and gathered outside. The stars were so bright and numerous that they felt three-dimensional. It was a perfectly Lovely moment of quiet connection. We pointed out constellations and shared our deepest, quietest thoughts, realizing how small our problems were beneath that immense, cosmic ceiling.
Pangong Tso is the definition of high-altitude beauty. It’s a trip that challenges your body, resets your mind, and offers the ultimate reward: genuinely once-in-a-lifetime views, shared with the people who matter most.
What’s the highest altitude you’ve ever slept at? Tell me your story below!
Stay high, Amanpreet Singh clogtheblog.com
